Best Lobster Roll in New England Round 2

There is certainly a debate on which type of roll is best. Hot with butter or cold with both butter and mayo and it all depends on who you talk to.  If you ask anyone from Maine, they will likely tell you to get a roll with both but if you are rolling along the coast of Connecticut, they will tell that mayo has no place on a lobster roll and you must have it hot. On our first round, we only had cold lobster rolls so we clearly had some more work to do.

After getting so many responses on our TikTok video, it inspired us to continue our search, so we tallied up the recommendations and went out on a round 2 lobster roll hunt to see what all the hype was about.

We ended up enjoying 10 lobster rolls in total and here are the 5 rolls we tried for round 2:

Neptune Oyster – Boston MA

• This restaurant came highly recommended and the line out the door was a reassuring sign.
• We were advised to get there at least 30 minutes before they open as the wait can be much longer if you get there after they open at 11am.
• We arrived at 10:30am, were second in line and got two seats at the bar – score!
• We ordered the hot roll with butter – yum.
• In addition to the lobster roll we ordered the mussels and the Neptune Johnnycake. My mouth is watering writing about this as I relive the meal in my head again.  So amazing.  We even saved some of the sauce from the mussels and added it to the lobster roll which made it even better!
• The roll and experience were fantastic, and we concur with the recommendations. If you are visiting Boston, give it a try.

Lobster Landing – Clinton CT

• We got over 200 recommendations on where we should have eaten a lobster roll on our TikTok video and Lobster Landing had the most votes.
• It’s way off the beaten path and unfortunately wasn’t worth the drive or the hype.
• We ordered the double which is 8 ounces of meat and was the highest price per ounce out of all the rolls we experienced.
• It comes hot and has a drizzle of lemon juice and is served wrapped in tinfoil.
• The roll was soggy and fell apart causing meat to fall out of the bun as well, making it an unenjoyable eating experience.
• Least favorite roll of the 10.
• There are better choices nearby so save yourself the trip.

Kim’s Shore She-Shed – Old Saybrook CT (at Harvey’s Beach)

• We were so disappointed in the roll at Lobster Landing we needed immediate redemption, so we drove to Kim’s Shore She-Shed right away.
• Kim had reached out to us on TikTok and invited us to come try her rolls but there were not many reviews for her food truck online, so we were a bit wary about giving this roll a try.
• Fortunately, we were pleasantly surprised. The bun is soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. The lobster is hot and buttery, and it tasted amazing. Better price per ounce than Lobster Landing and tasted 10x better.
• Hands down one of the better hot rolls we had.

Easton’s Beach Snack Bar – Newport RI

• Easton’s had a few votes on our tally and came highly recommended by a close friend of mine, so it easily made the list for round 2. We had planned a visit to Newport while we were staying in Rhode Island, so this was a convenient detour for lunch.
• We ordered the twin with fries which is by far the best value of food to spend ratio.
• The buns are prepared beach style – buttery and crispy on the outside. The lobster is served cold with butter and a little bit of mayo, and it also had lettuce on the roll.  First time we had lettuce on a lobster roll and it wasn’t bad.
• As a bonus, we ordered the clam strips, and they were also delicious. So much food for the money at this place. The problem with lobster rolls is that it isn’t a ton of food, and I am often left wanting more to satisfy my hunger, but this wasn’t the case at Easton’s
• Side note – Apparently the seagulls will steal your food here so beware!

Raw Bar – Popponesset (Mashpee) MA

• Raw Bar had the second most votes and unlike Lobster Landing, this one lived up to the hype!
• The drive to Raw Bar at Popponesset Beach seemed to go on forever and felt like we were in the middle of nowhere, but the navigation is correct and it’s in a cool spot past a fancy golf course and near a residential neighborhood. It’s sort of a touristy spot but is more of a bar hangout for the locals, especially in the off season.
• This roll is one of the more expensive on the list, but it also has 2x to 3x the amount of meat than most other rolls out there.
• Their signature roll is 12 ounces. It’s measured with a 12 ounce serving container and it’s not leveled off the top, so it’s probably more like 13 or 14 ounces.  It’s so much meat you need to eat it with a fork and a few other people 😉
• The meat is served cold with just a touch of mayo, and you can get melted butter to drizzle on as well.
• This behemoth has so much meat it doesn’t really qualify as a roll, it’s more like a mound of lobster you eat out of a bun, but hey I’m not complaining.
• Although the roll is pricey, $48 for 12oz, the cost per ounce is on par or better than most so it’s totally worth it.
• The atmosphere is great, and their signature rum punch is must.

Final consensus for the best roll we had in the New England area:

For the cold roll my favorite is still Spragues in Wiscasset Maine and Kandace is sticking with the Clam Shack in Kennebunkport Maine. A close second goes to Raw Bar in Popponesset Massachusetts. If you are on the Cape, it’s the place to go!

For the hot Roll it’s Easton’s in Newport RI – best value for the money and it tasted amazing. Honorable mention goes to Kim’s Shore She-Shed. She’s doing great work out of her food truck in Old Saybrook, CT – the bun is perfectly crispy and buttery, just wish there was more meat on the roll.

Have a favorite lobster roll destination on the East Coast?  Let us know in the comments section below.

Cheers,

-Tiny Trailer Trips crew.